The R50 team had the privilege of being trackside at Silverstone last weekend [20-21 September] for the latest rounds of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – and what a weekend it was! From the roar of engines to the buzz of the paddock, the atmosphere was electric. We even had the chance to step onto the grid before race three, soaking in the sights, sounds and tension just moments before the lights went out.
And on track, it was another step forward for Aron Taylor-Smith, who continued his strong run of form with an equal season-best finish of fourth place for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK.
Silverstone Suits the Irishman
The Northamptonshire circuit, famed as the ‘Home of British Motorsport’, has always been a happy hunting ground for Taylor-Smith, boasting six of his career podiums. Armed with an ever-improving Toyota Corolla GR Sport, he arrived in a confident mood – and qualifying inside the top ten confirmed that optimism.
Race one saw Taylor-Smith on the less-favoured medium tyres. Despite being squeezed out in the opening corners, he fought back with typical determination to grab more championship points in P11.
The Soft Tyre Surge
The switch to soft tyres for race two unlocked the Corolla’s true pace. In classic touring car fashion, Taylor-Smith charged through the field with bold moves at Becketts and Brooklands, before carving his way into the top five. A late dive for fourth brought him right onto the tail of reigning champion Jake Hill, crossing the line a whisker away from a podium – just 0.0175 seconds!
It was an exhilarating drive and a sure sign of the progress both driver and team have made in recent weeks. For us watching trackside, it was heart-in-mouth racing at its finest.
Rounding Off with Consistency
Race three brought a return to the medium tyres, but Aron dug deep to round off the weekend with yet another points finish in P11. That makes six consecutive races in the points and back-to-back equal season-best results, a real momentum-builder heading into the Brands Hatch season finale on 4-5 October.
Aron’s Take
Reflecting on the weekend, Aron said:
“This has been another really encouraging event for myself and the team at TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK, and I’m so pleased to come away having equalled our best result of the season; if we manage to better that, we’ll have a podium! So it’s a nice place to be.
“My Toyota Corolla GR Sport absolutely came alive on the softs, and it was such a good feeling to be back in the thick of things and enjoying a proper ‘touring car race’ again – it was good craic!
“The transformation over the past few weekends has been really impressive, and it’s given us some great momentum. I’m looking forward to Brands, and the chance to end the season on a high and lay down some strong foundations for the future.”
For R50, it was a brilliant weekend to be on-site, cheering trackside, enjoying the thrills of the BTCC and sharing the buzz with Aron and the team. With Brands Hatch looming, the season finale promises drama, action, and – hopefully – another big result.